Malcolm Turnbull has excused Scott Morrison from helping orchestrate his downfall but said many senior members of the Coalition were bullies who posed an existential threat to the Liberal Party and who blew up the government for no good reason, jeopardising its re-election prospects.

In an explosive solo appearance on the ABC's Q&A program on Thursday night, the former prime minister also confirmed that Seven Network Chairman Kerry Stokes had told him in the lead up to the August 24 spill that News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch was trying to get rid of him.